And paul hardies



J, H- PETERS AND P. HARDIES.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27 19!8- 1 ,3QKU2L Patented June 17, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

INVENTORS JOHN H. PE TEES J. HJPETERS AND P. HARDIES.

FLYING MACHINE. A PPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1918.

2 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

Lawmza, 4 PafenmlJune 1?, 1919.

Q N g lNVENTORS JOHN H Per-95 Pm/L Hmw/Es ATTORNEY snare ran JOHN H. PETERS, 0F BUTTE, MONTANA, AND PAUL HARDIES, SEATTLE, W'ASH- ,INGTON.

FLYING MAGHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

flying machines and the object of our in-' vention is to provide a flying machine that is capable of rising vertically in the air and one that may be stopped and maintained in a substantially stationary position in the air. A further object is to provide a flying machine 'of this class having a plurality of helical screws suitably arranged and connected with driving mechanism whereby they may be selectively actuated to elevate the machine, to propel it in a horizontal direction and to guide it.

A still further object is to provide a novel form of elevating screw that is equipped with air, pockets in such manner that when the machine is moving ahead the rush of the air will tend to turn the elevatingscrews in the proper direction to cause them to exert a lifting force on the'machine.

Our invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts of a" flying machine as will be more clearly hereinafter described and claimed.

We accomplish these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a plan View of a flyingmachine constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of a modified form of propeller screw;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a propeller screw illustrating the manner of" forming an air pocket therein;

Fig.5 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating one form of driving and controliing mechanism that may be used in connec ion with the machine; and

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 19119.

Application filed July 27, 1918. Serial No. 247,332. 1

devices shown in Fig. 5 certain parts being shown 1n cross-section.

Referring to the drawings throughout whichlike reference numerals indicate like parts the numeral 10 designates a flying machine body that is preferably of light strong construction and of large. enough size to support the propeller deviceshereinafter described, together with actuating and control mechanism therefor and to provide ample space for one or more passengers andany freight or' other material that it may be desired to carry thereon.

The body 10 may be of substantially cigar shape when viewed in plan and may consist of a hollow shell, the interior of which affords a housing for the actuating and control mechanism and for the pilot and pas sengers.

The-body 10 is adapted to be elevated by a plurality of elevating propellers or screws 11,12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 that may be arranged and distributed as shown in Figs.

1 and 2 and are preferably mounted for rotation above the center of gravity of the machine so that the machine will be held in an upright position when in the air.

' he flying machine is adapted to be guided by transversely arranged screw propellers 19 and 20 located partially within transverse. tubular passageways 21 in the front and rear ends of the body 10 respec tively and are provided with axial shafts 42 that are journaled in brackets 22.

23, 24, 25 and 26 are screw propellers disposed lengthwise of and above the body 10 and adapted 'to propel the flying machine horizontally after it has been lifted from the ground by the elevating screws 11 to 18 inclusive. a

The screw propellers 23, 24:, 25 and 26 are preferably located between the elevating propellers and the guiding propellers and are provided with axial shafts 27 that are mounted for rotation in bearing brackets 28.

The elevating screws 11 to 18 inclusive are carried on vertical shafts 30 the top ends of which are journaled in brackets 31 that extend upwardly from the frame, the brackets 31 preferably 'being supported by truss rods 32.

All of the propeller, elevating, and guiding screws are preferably constructed of light strong material as of canvas stretch tightly over a suitable rigid frame and such screws are preferably of double blade construction as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 although it is obvious that a single blade screw of the form. shown in Fig. 3 maybe used if desired.

ings 37 and extends lengthwise of the body 10.

The shaft 36 is provided on. its ends with friction rollers 38 that are each located between and adapted to be selectively engaged by disks 39and 40 that are rigidly connected with sleeves ll that are splined on the shafts 42 on whlch the guide screws 19 and 20 are secured as shown in Flg. 5, so that if the disks 39 and 40 are moved into engagement with therollers 38 the guide screws 19 and 20 Will be driven.

The sleeves 4L1 each have rigid downwardly projecting arms 43 that pass through angular slots 4a in plates 45 on the ends of rods 46 that extend to a position near the pilots seat and are pivotally connected with a lever 47 by which the disks 39 and lO may be selectively moved into engagement with the rollers 38 or may be moved to a central neutral position entirely out of engagement with the rollers 38.

The arrangement of thesteering control is such that when one of the disks'39 or 40 on the front end of the machine is moved into contact with a roller 38 the opposite disk on the rear end of the machine will be moved into contact with its roller 38 thereby driving the foremost screw 19 in one direction and the rearmost screw 20 in the opposite directiom thus exerting a force at both ends of the machine that tends to turn it in the same direction. v

The propeller screws 23, 24', 25 and 26 may be driven by silent link belts 50 that pass around suitable sprocket wheels on the shafts 27 and around other suitable sprocket wheels on sleeves 51 that are loosely mounted on the shaft 36 and adapted to be engaged by spring pressed friction members 48 that are splined on the shaft 36.

The friction members 37 are adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the sleeves 5l-by shifter levers 52 that are pivoted as at 53 and connected by links 54 with a foot pedal 55 adjacent the pilots seat so that the friction members on both ends vcollars 60 that are engaged by shifter arms 61 that are pivoted as at 62 and are connect-- ed by links 63 with a lever 64 so that all of the shafts 58 may be moved endwise simultaneously to effect engagement or disengage ment of the rollers 56 and friction disks 57.

The shafts 58 are each provided with gearwheels 65 that are splined thereon and adapted to mesh with other gear wheels 66 on the shaft 36 whereby the shafts 58 are all driven in the same direction.

67 and 68 are two deflectors of substantially the shape of an inverted letter V that are each positioned with the apex in the medial plane of the'body 10' near the bot toms of the elevating screws and have the divergent ends secured to the-side edges of the body so that said deflectors serve to deflect the downward current of air that is thrown from the elevating screws outwardly to the sides of the body 10.

In the operation the engine 35 may be started and the lever 64 manipulated to cause the disks 57 to engage the rollers 56 and drive the shafts 30 upon which are mounted the elevating screws thus causing the elevating screws to exert a sufficient upward force to lift the machine from the ground. ,105 The clutch members 48 may then be permitted to engage within the sleeves 51 thus 'causing such sleeves 51. to be rotated and to transmit rotary motion by means of the link belts 50 to the propeller screws 23, 24:, 25, and 26 so that the machine will be driven forwardly. g The guiding screws 19 and 20 will nor mally not be rotated except when the machine is being turned but such screws may be rotated to turn the machine in either direction by moving the leve'r47 to selectively bring the disks 39 and 40 into contact with the friction rollers 38.

It has already been pointed out that the arrangement of the slots 44 in the plates 45 is such that when the lever 47 is moved to bring one disk 39 or 40 at the front end of the machine into contact with the friction roller 38 the opposite disk at the rear end of the machine will be simultaneously brought into contact with its friction roller 38 thus rotating the guide screws 19 and 20 in op osie 1directions and giving a double turning e co The action of the air pockets 33 on the elevating screws 11 to 18 inclusive will be the air the lift of the air will be on the lower. surface of the screw blade while the air rushing into the pocket 33 on account of the forward movement of the machine will tend to assist in turning the screw in the direction indicated by the arrow.

It will be understood that various changes in the form of construction of the flying machine herein disclosed may be resorted to withinl the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. A flying machine comprising a body, a plurality of helical screws rigidly mounted for rotation on vertical aXes for elevating said body, a plurality of helical screws rigidly mounted for rotation on axes that are parallel with said body for propelling the body in a horizontal direction, helical guide screws rigidly disposed crosswise of each end of said body means for selectively driv ing all of said screws, and means to reverse the direction of rotation of said guide SCI'GWS.

2. A flying machine of the class described comprising a body having transverse passageways near each end,.means for llftlng said body, propeller devices for moving said body forward and guiding devices for said body, said guiding devices comprising screw propellers disposed within said transverse passageways in the ends of said body and projecting outwardly from both sides thereof, reversible driving mechanism for said screw propellers and means for controlling said driving mechanism whereby said screw propellers in opposite ends of said frame may be simultaneously driven in opposite directions.

3. A flying machine of the class described comprising a body having transverse passageways near each end, a plurality of screw propellers for lifting said body, a plurality of screw propellers'for moving said body forward, and guiding devices for said body,

said guiding devices comprising transversely I arranged guide screws dlSPOSGd within said passageways and projecting from both ends thereof, friction devices for rotating said guide screws, and 'control mechanism for said friction devices whereby the guide screws at opposite ends of said body may be rotated in opposite directions simultaneously.

4. A flying machine of the class described comprising a body, guiding mechanism therefor, devices for propelling said body through the air, a plurality of helical elevating screws disposed above said body, a mo tor for driving said elevating screws, invert-- ed V-shaped deflectors for deflecting the air thatis directed downwardly by said elevating screws outwardly to the side of said body, and rigid air pockets formed on the upper surfaces of the blades of said elevating screws whereby when said machine is moving rapidly the air will enter said air pockets and tend to turn said elevating screws.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 20th day of July, 1918.1 

